In “Planning to 2050”, Canadian scientists describe materials research and development with neutron beams and recommend how to maximize its future value to Canada. The plan lays out the priorities of the community of physicists, chemists, engineers, earth and resource scientists, and life scientists who use neutron beams in Canada. These priorities have resulted from consultative democratic processes that have taken place over more than a decade.

The centrepiece of the plan is the construction of the Canadian Neutron Centre (CNC), a world-class neutron source with associated laboratories and infrastructure. The CNC will surpass the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor — planned to be permanently shut down in 2018 — in the production of neutrons for materials research. In addition, the CNC could potentially continue the NRU reactor’s functions in nuclear energy research or the production of isotopes for industry and medicine.